Funding for Medical Procedure- Advice Needed

apprentice on 03/03/2020 - 10:00
Last edited 03/03/2020 - 11:05 by 1 other user

Wife had a medical (dental) procedure done overseas which went horribly wrong. Now we are having to remedy that in Australia which is estimated to cost us $25-$30K.

Wife went into severe depression and off work since. I am running the family on single income now and also paying for her dentist fees. The major procedure will take place in couple of months time. At the moment I have $14k worth of credit cards. I have been recently refused a credit card probably I am at limit due to the home loan. We recently bought a house and on a two years fixed term loan with no offset account option.

What are my options now? Can anyone please give me some suggestions. I know I couldn't write as well/detailed I needed to but but any sort of advice would be greatly appreciated.

Financial

Comments

  • DemocracyManifest on 03/03/2020 - 10:12
    +13

    Why on earth would you want another credit card, you’d be better off getting a personal loan for the procedure because the interest rate will be lower. Is there any chance you can get it done on the public system/Medicare because it’s a severe case which affects quality of life?

  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/03/2020 - 10:12
    +10

    Your post is too vague for anyone to give you any useful advice.

    Your wife is off work. Is the pain "increasing" or "severe"? Take her to the emergency room at your closest Hospital and utilise the public system.

    • HighAndDry on 03/03/2020 - 13:33
      +9

      While this is good advice, I hate that the public is left holding the bag for OP's decision to try and save money by going overseas.

      It's not as if the public would've shared in OP's savings if the gamble had paid off, but the public will now pay because it hasn't paid off for OP.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/03/2020 - 14:43
        -5

        Yes, we get it. You hate poor people or regular people in financial strife. You don't have to reply to my comments in countless threads repeating as such.

        The public was left "holding the bag" for the government/NBN's decision to pay Telstra $5 BILLION for a decayed old network that subsequently was partially scrapped. Nobody flutters an eyelid apparently. Funny part is, they will be paying an additional $1-2 billion in maintenance contracts over the next few years, lol.

        • HighAndDry on 03/03/2020 - 17:27
          +4

          OP isn't just poor. OP tried to be clever and save money by cutting corners and taking risks with their health.

          That's not bad luck, that's a gamble. We shouldn't be paying for OP's gamble because, as I've already said, OP sure wasn't planning to share any of the savings they were gambling for.

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/03/2020 - 10:19

            @HighAndDry: Our economy isn't going to crumble by OP's wife accessing public health services.

            You won't be affected by it.

            Nobody here will be affected by it.

            • HighAndDry on 04/03/2020 - 10:39
              -1

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Not by OP, but what if a thousand people do this? Ten thousand?

              Plus, does the concept of principles not mean anything to you?

              • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/03/2020 - 11:09
                -4

                @HighAndDry: Principles? It appears they only exist to stop the poors from accessing services.

                Is Turnbull going to return the millions he invested in an IT company, that was "bought out" by NBN Co, due to his previously involved with NBN Co, and his tenure as Communications Minister and PM?

                Your fearmongering is likened to COVID-19. We don't even have 10k currently accessing services due to this "pandemic". You reckon 10k will access services due to poor overseas medical operations?

                What do poor or disadvantaged people seriously have to do to earn your acceptance? Your post history indicates a real distain for the lower classes.

                • HighAndDry on 04/03/2020 - 11:45
                  -1

                  @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: My views would be the same no matter how poor or rich OP is. Being poor didn't force them to go overseas for elective surgery.

                  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/03/2020 - 12:16

                    @HighAndDry: Yeah, I guess she should just stay at home in pain and die.

                    Wouldn't want her to bother you or your principles.

                    • HighAndDry on 04/03/2020 - 13:19
                      -2

                      @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: Or pay for the minimum required medical work, and not ask for money for remedial work to elective procedures which are mostly cosmetic in effect.

                      Again - I'd say this to a rich person too.

                      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/03/2020 - 14:20
                        +1

                        @HighAndDry:

                        Or pay for the minimum required medical work

                        Which OP says they can't afford.

                        "stay at home in pain and die."

                        • HighAndDry on 04/03/2020 - 14:36
                          -1

                          @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: No, OP says they can't remedy it. OP also says they own a property and $14k of credit cards.

                          That's not "they can't afford it", that's "they don't want to be inconvenienced by paying for it".

                          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 04/03/2020 - 15:19

                            @HighAndDry: Yes, sell the home they likely have zero or negative equity in (since OP said they just bought it) and use the $14k limit on credit cards which they haven't even confirmed are maxed or not.

                            So is it now: "Sell home, stay at rental in pain and die"?

  • 87percent on 03/03/2020 - 10:25
    +5

    Some dentists offer payment plans

  • Frayin on 03/03/2020 - 10:28
    +10

    I believe you can access a limited amount of your super to help cover medical emergencies. This may depend on your super you're with. My brother got access to $10,000 to help with his partners medical expenses.

    • DemocracyManifest on 03/03/2020 - 10:41
      +1

      Yeah totally forgot about that great advice you just have to fill out a hardship form and OP meets the criteria, OP, check if your wife has income protection with her super. You may or may not be excluded because of the overseas operation best to check

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 10:29
    +11

    Head back overseas for some cheap dental

    • 87percent on 03/03/2020 - 10:59
      +2

      Ops next post… help, wife has no teeth now

      • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 11:03
        +3

        That would be cheaper to fix than to try to save her teeth.

  • triviums on 03/03/2020 - 10:29
    +3

    How severe is it?

    Can you utilise the public system?

    I'm in the same situation you are in. I need major dental surgery, which would cost close to 30k (or even more) to get it done privately. I'm now getting the majority of it done through the public system and some of it done privately, which has cut the costs down to less than 10k.

    • apprentice on 21/03/2020 - 16:28

      She is in constant pain due to infection and exposed dentin.

      Could you please share how you have managed to get it partially done in public system.

      • triviums on 21/03/2020 - 20:06

        I just said I couldn't afford it and was referred to the local public hospital.

        However, mine requires multiple specialists in the dental field. The part I am not getting covered actually requires the same specialisation as your case an orthodontist. However, that is only because I was told that the wait list for orthodontic treatment was very long so they pushed me to go private with that section (I would be near the bottom of the list and would have to wait years).

  • wiipantz on 03/03/2020 - 10:34
    +3

    Cost of being stupid can be high. You need to get off this site and seek meaningful financial advice, consolidate your expenses and see if you can enact payment plans. Seriously though, what a comedy of errors that was to read, you sir need to STAY AWAY FROM CREDIT CARDS!

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 10:53
    +1

    You can't afford this treatment. Your options are : go through the public system, try to access your wife's super on compassionate grounds or get some financial assistance from your wife's side of the family.

    Edit: In order to access your super on compassionate grounds for medical and/or dental treatment, the
    condition must be:

    • a life-threatening illness or injury
    • causing acute or chronic physical pain
    • causing acute or chronic mental condition.

    The treatment must not be readily available through the public health system and the cost of treatment must not be completely covered by your private health insurance and/or workers compensation.

    Does your wife fall in any of those categories?

    • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 11:33
      +11

      Our taxpayer funded medicare isnt there to fix medical tourism related malpractice. She won't be attended to unless it is life threatening. If she is attended to, it will purely be to remove the problem.

      Having atttended to these cases before, I can only guess it relates to terrible crowns, in which case it will be removal of teeth, or a misplaced implant, in which case it is removal of a proportionately significant portion of bone around the site.

      Either way, medicare will not and rightfully should not be covering the case. I do not mean this to be harsh but it is not fair for the rest of us that didn't cheap out on care.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 11:47
        +2

        Either way, medicare will not and rightfully should not be covering the case. I do not mean this to be harsh but it is not fair for the rest of us that didn't cheap out on care.

        And I completely agree. I just wasn't sure what Op meant by "went completely wrong" and in how much pain his wife is.

      • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/03/2020 - 12:20
        -5

        @tshow Funny spot to draw the line.

        Our public system bleeds money on habitual smokers, drinkers and drug users. Why should OP's wife not be "allowed" to utilise the same services?

        • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 12:21
          +6

          Because there is a tabacco and alcohol tax.

          • serpserpserp on 03/03/2020 - 14:05

            @[Deactivated]:

            Because there is a tabacco and alcohol tax.

            What he meant to say was all the morbidly obese people clogging up the system. They are the real culprits.

            No sugar tax yet?

            On this basis they are fine to proceed!

          • subywagon on 03/03/2020 - 14:05

            @[Deactivated]: I thought there was a poor people tax for medicare too?

          • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/03/2020 - 14:38
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: No illicit drug tax? Why are these people getting all these expensive methadone clinics?

            What about self inflicted? Skin cancers? obesity?

            What about those with sadly shit genetics that will always require medical treatment, and so will their children and children's children?

            Like I said. Strange spot to draw the line.

            • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 15:00
              +9

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: I'll use an analogy to make this brief.

              Think of the average person as a product. If it comes with faults, we (Australia) will perform a repair under warranty.

              Now someone has an issue that doesn't fall under warranty repair and decides to take the problem to a non-authorized lowest bidder repair centre.

              They butcher the crap out of the product and the owner wants the official service centre to refurbish/replace to brand new.

              • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/03/2020 - 15:04
                +1

                @[Deactivated]: That's a terrible analogy.

                Why would you compare a socialist public policy to a hypothetical capitalist narrow perspective?

                • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 15:22
                  +5

                  @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: It is not capitalist or socialist.

                  It is about not taking responsibility for someone else's work. In this case, it is a foreign surgeon who we have no jurisdiction over. They've taken payment, they can warrant their own work.

                  Just incase we're talking about different things, you do know that OP is referring to a procedure to correct the work done right? It is not just removing the work. If it is just removing without plastics, I give you my word, I'll remove the problem and leave the patient in a stable condition for $10k flat (anaesthesiologist included).

                  • Typical16-bitEnjoyer on 03/03/2020 - 15:42

                    @[Deactivated]: Your analogy was textbook capitalism lol. Not everything can be taxed to justify the "reasons" for providing someone basic health care.

                    You don't know OP's thoughts. At the top of their concern was her depression, pain and inability to work from my POV. The public system exists for those reasons.

                    She probably made a mistake getting surgery overseas. Sure. Same as someone probably made a poor decision to drive late at night and get in a road accident. People are not perfect.

                    I've given you various other examples that don't fit your narrative, so I'll just leave it there.

                    • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 15:54
                      +4

                      @Typical16-bitEnjoyer:

                      Not everything can be taxed

                      I did not say everything can be taxed. Tobacco and alcohol are heavily taxed because private consumption can only lead to disease. The tax is to offset the inevitable.

                      providing someone basic health care.

                      Fixing up work done overseas is not basic health care. She is still entitled to basic healthcare.

                      People are not perfect.

                      That is what she will have to live with now. It is the natural consequence of getting stuffed up work in a place that does not provide any assurances.

                      I've given you various other examples that don't fit your narrative

                      You sure think you have.

            • [Deactivated] on 04/03/2020 - 20:26
              +1

              @Typical16-bitEnjoyer: You shouldn't be breeding if your genetics are so shit that your children will always require medical treatment. There is a word for that, it's called abuse.

    • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 11:13
      +13

      At the risk of sounding insensitive, why should the government hand over money to Op and his wife?

      • EightImmortals on 03/03/2020 - 11:37

        Oh the government has ZERO problems handing over our tax money to lots of different people and corporations who are in less need than this guy seems to be. Now OK he's obviously made some bad financial/emotional choices to get in this predicament but that doesn't mean he should be offered help.

        Besides, when I skimmed that link it was talking about help to access super or home equity so they might not be giving them any of our tax dollars anyway. :)

        But if you arguing for less welfare overall then I probably wont argue that point.

        • HighAndDry on 03/03/2020 - 13:35

          handing over our tax money to lots of different people and corporations who are in less need

          Those are either welfare or to incentivise investment, and economic and jobs growth.

  • emblurr on 03/03/2020 - 11:59
    -3

    Gofundme?

  • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 12:15
    +3

    If she has an infection or rejection, just remove the work and potentially the associated teeth. This shouldn't cost $25k. Maybe a few thousand but you want the job done thooroughly and done well.

    She may have fewer teeth and may have some permenant limitations to the cosmetic work potential but that looks like the consequence she has to face. Worry about those things later.

    Stop the problem from getting worse before thinking of surgical reconstruction.

    • serpserpserp on 03/03/2020 - 14:09

      I'm thinking if the cost is 25-30k to fix it could be a maxillofacial surgery that was botched overseas. So it would look pretty terrible (hopefully no infection). So reconstruction is the only way to fix it.

      I'm not even sure you can go on a public waiting list for that stuff.

      • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 15:31

        We do it on public but it is limited, predominantly congenital defects or related to congenital defects.

        Trauma covered by TAC/Workcover.

        $25-30k to fix dental could be one of a few possiblities. It would definitely exclude some that will cost far more to fix so the possibilities are likely sinus perforation with infection and rejection, neurological damage from iatrogenic nerve trauma, or periodontal disease from botched prosthetics.

        Either way, there is zero way that medicare is stepping in to fix it. Removal maybe but thats not $25k worth.

  • Ugly on 03/03/2020 - 13:05
    +1

    For a start, call the National Debt Helpline - 1800 007 007 or https://ndh.org.au/ . It's a free financial counselling service that can offer some real help on your existing debts.

  • brendanm on 03/03/2020 - 13:28
    +2

    Do you owe $14k on credit cards, or you have $14k of available limit?

    • Zachary on 04/03/2020 - 10:18

      Probably the latter.

  • holdenmg on 03/03/2020 - 13:54

    Hi,

    Just an idea out of left field, but is any of the work “gone bad” covered by your Travel Insurance (if you had any) while overseas?

    Otherwise, maybe get referred/assessed at the The Royal Dental Hospital of Melbourne in Carlton.

    https://www.dhsv.org.au/patient-information

    There was some material on the Medicare site about whether procedures performed overseas that become problematic are covered but I can’t find it…

    • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 14:00

      It is not covered. They may remove the problem but they are not going to fix, much less replace anything.

  • lette on 03/03/2020 - 15:29

    I'm sorry you're going through this. That's quite a lot to have on your plate and still have to try and make enough income to survive. It's not fair one seemingly simple thing can turn into such a costly mistake. I'm sorry this happened to you.
    I don't have any advice that hasn't been given above sorry, but I thought it was worth saying you're being a superhero right now. Your wife is very lucky, as I'm sure you are too. Make sure to try and look after yourself as well as her, pressure can do terrible things to our pysche. Good luck.

  • funnysht on 03/03/2020 - 16:06

    No idea but some dentist services may be under public insurance…

    The other trick option is…get a GP referral to see a Maxofascial surgeon (they do a lot of dentist like stuff- maxillary bones etc) see if they are happy to fix the issues. That probably can be charged via medicare. (From memory to be a maxofasical surgeon you need to train as a doctor and dentist- im not too sure about this but check)

    (Disclaimer: this may be wrong advice)

    Yea don't charge it on credit card

    • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 16:26

      The referral would reduce/remove the cost of consult and certain diagnostic procedures. That is about it.

      • funnysht on 03/03/2020 - 16:27

        True but what procedure they do may be on the MBS

        • [Deactivated] on 03/03/2020 - 16:29

          Any grafting is definitely not going to get instant approval.

          I dont think any OMFS would risk an audit to try and pass these procedures as part of a diagnostic process.

  • Meho2026 on 03/03/2020 - 16:14

    Can she not just get dentures?

  • Piratarzt on 04/03/2020 - 09:11

    With the available information and ethics aside, it looks like OP needs to speak to a financial advisor and not Ozbargain. A few red flags for he and his wife spiraling into insurmountable debt, not to mention the emotional toll on both of them when they do so.

  • OzHunterNSW on 04/03/2020 - 10:22
    +3

    You are repeatedly warned about OS medical procedures and now you expect the over worked Australian medical staff to rectify you stu**ity.

    You live with it…. you thought you could save a few bucks… but as I said… you were warned many many many times before.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/03/2020 - 14:23
    +2

    Oh look medical tourism going wrong. There’s a surprise.

    • wiipantz on 04/03/2020 - 16:24

      Shoulda haggled for some bolt ons as a remedy to bung teeth

  • [Deactivated] on 04/03/2020 - 21:35
    +1

    Username checks out

  • apprentice on 21/03/2020 - 16:20
    +1

    Hi guys. I had opened this thread but was not receiving any notifications. So, I thought no one was replying to the post. Actually, I got logged out for some reason. I just realized it today and logged back in.

    As I see quite a few people have replied it won't be possible for me to reply to all of you. So, I will write this post for all.
    It's been really hard to go through some of the comments. Some people are implying that it was greedy of us to go overseas and get the treatment done. Some called it medical tourism too. I will just tell you the facts. We didn't go to Thailand or anywhere for a holiday and got the treatment done as a bonus. We actually went to my country of birth to visit family. That too after 3.5 years. In between one of my brother had heart surgery and the other one a road accident. But I couldn't go to see them because I din't have a job for 2.5 years. I myself has a disability and chronic health issues but I am still working. And just because I am earning little above minimum wages we don't receive any govt benefit.

    It was just heartbreaking to read some people's comments. My wife had quite a lot of bad teeth and we could not simply afford to do the treatment in Australia. To give you an idea, I waited 4 years to see an ENT specialist in a public hospital because I couldn't afford to treat the issue privately.

    I know I didn't give much details in my opening post. There are two reasons. I was in a really bad mental condition to put together a post. I just wrote it somehow. Also, I didn't want to make it about medical procedure where people start to give lot medical advice. I wanted to leave it to the health professionals and get some financial advice here. However, I have to admit some of you tried to give some good advice like the suggestion about seeing a maxillofacial surgeon. So, I am gonna tell a little more about what went wrong. The overseas dentist put a dental bridge on which involved 5 teeth. In this process he did root canals which were incorrectly done and worst he left a broken file inside a tooth without mentioning it to us. He also damaged 2 more teeth to fit with bridge by drilling them. So, all together 7 teeth has been damaged and the added bonus has been infection and pain. She is in constant pain since then. Our life has been upside down since then. My wife is suffering from PTSD and living a miserable life. Our marriage is nearly ending and our only child is suffering as well.

    We have seen dentists here and were referred to specialist dentists. The orthodontist gave us the treatment plan this week which involves removing the bridge all together, extracting teeth, putting 5 implants on and other maintenance. For implants we need to see a surgeon separately. All together it will cost us about $35k-40K plus ongoing maintenance costs. I literally lost my sleep over this. My first and foremost necessity is to secure loans for the treatment but I don't know how I am going to repay the loan. It took us 16 years to save for a house deposit and that's our only asset for the old age. We don't have much in our super too as we couldn't work continuously. I know in USA wealthy people sometimes pay for the medical bills for poor who can't afford medical bills. Do we have anything like this Australia? Is there any charity I could turn to? I don't think medicare will cover any part the treatment because it's not a dental emergency like she is bleeding or lost her teeth in an accident. Even to get treatment in the dental emergency hospitals you need to have a health care card which we can't have because I am working.

  • blueskyfridays on 22/03/2020 - 19:07

    Ratesetter or SocietyOne

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